Please!! I need your input on ER Pyxis question

Our hospital has Pyxis in the ER which is a non-profile unit. When we get a John Doe patient the nursing staff enters "male, seizure" (according to their dx) without a patient number. This might seem trivial, but the DEA frowns on a narcotic being charged out to a "generic" patient, because we have no way of linking that name to the patient number when it is finally assigned by admitting. Thus, we have cocaine given to "male, seizure" in our computer system. I am curious how other ERs handle this problem. Any suggestions are GREATLY appreciated!!!!

We put it under the patient's name without an account number if we can get a name, otherwise we handle it the same way you do with a not sent down to pharmacy that "male seizure" is Mr John Doe, if they would kindly merge the two. The merging must be done at some point anyway to bill the pt for the meds taken out on an emergency basis. If the DEA can identify the pt and look at the chart to confirm the med was given to a pt so far that is all they've asked of us.

Oct 24, '02

We do the same as canoehead.

Oct 26, '02

We Do the Same as CanoeHead...I put the room # in on some line so that as soon as the true registration is in I can go back (if time allows)and return med then charge out to the patients true registrated name/#. If time does not allow. Merging will be done by pharm/billing.

Oct 27, '02

We keep a log of our unknown patients. We try to put on the log time, date room number and description of the problem. That way the pharmacy can take those items and charge them to the patient later when a true identity is found. As another posted, if I get a true identity I will "return" the meds under the John Doe and check them out under the true patient. The pharmacy loves itwhen I do that

Oct 27, '02

use the number on the stat id. Then you can link it back to the patient.

Oct 28, '02

duckybaby :imbar

Oct 29, '02

we just enter what ever we can

uusally john doe or the room/ bed number.

trauma patients are put in by registration before arrival (if we are that lucky )as a sequentially number : jane / john doe trauma 182.

i guess the pharmacy fixes any problems later, i have never heard it even mentioned before.

the real problem we had, was with our new blood sugar machines. they originally only had them set up to take the pt id # to start up. which was a problem when some one in triage was went out secondary to low b.s. before they were registered.

they soon corrected that issue.

Nov 8, '02

originally posted by amy111 our hospital has pyxis in the er which is a non-profile unit. when we get a john doe patient the nursing staff enters "male, seizure" (according to their dx) without a patient number. this might seem trivial, but the dea frowns on a narcotic being charged out to a "generic" patient, because we have no way of linking that name to the patient number when it is finally assigned by admitting. thus, we have cocaine given to "male, seizure" in our computer system. i am curious how other ers handle this problem. any suggestions are greatly appreciated!!!!

amy,

i take it out, under the squad name that brought them in to the er.

or

i just take it out under john doe........

then...........

once we have a name on the patient, we go into the pyxis take another out. close the drawer. then as the pyxis requires (with a wittness), retun that med under the john doe name.

the other thing you can do............

our hospital has an official form for narcs/benzo's etc - called discrepency sheet. two rn's must fill the sheet out, and basically explain, why something was taken out under a john doe. then put a patient mr# and name on it so they know who it went too. the hospital has 30 days, to straighten it out.

your pharmacy has control over that issue. you can also call them later, once you have the patients name. they can correct it also.